Around Town 5/15/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

We listen in as the Maine House of Representatives debates and votes on LD 582 “An Act to Require Health Insurance Carriers to Provide Coverage for Blood Testing for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances”

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

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Around Town 5/14/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Busy day at the statehouse.
FMI:
Wabanaki Alliance
Maine AllCare
State Legislature

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/13/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Meg Shorette joins us to talk about the 10th All Roads Festival coming up on Friday and Saturday

Indivisible and other pro-democracy groups issue a call to action on June 14th – to counter Trump’s military parade with “No Kings!” protests in every state. Protests are planned in several locations in Maine

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/12/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Lots happening at the Ellsworth Public Library in May. FMI: Ellsworth Public Library
ACLU of Maine Legal Team Update Webinar- Updates on legal actions taken by the ACLU (v Trump admin) coming up this Thursday FMI & zoom link: ACLU of Maine events

– and news from Maine newspapers, 100 years ago today

Ticket sales open today for Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews, a four-night film series showcasing the unique artistic vision and experimental storytelling techniques of College of the Atlantic T.A. Cox Chair in Studio Arts Nancy Andrews. “Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews spans a diverse selection of works dating from 1995-2025, including early works and genre-defying films that have earned Andrews recognition at film festivals and film series worldwide. Each night features a live Q&A session with Andrews, where she will discuss her creative process and the themes explored in her films.
Andrews is a visionary filmmaker whose works have garnered critical acclaim for their experimental narratives, imaginative visual storytelling, and fearless exploration of unconventional themes. Andrews’ work explores the boundaries between reality and imagination, the personal and the universal, and the inner psychological landscapes and external forces that shape human experience. Through her unique blend of film, animation, puppetry, music, and visual art, she crafts hybrid worlds that are both whimsical and profound.”
Schedule, film descriptions and (as of today) tickets at Reel Pizza

the public is invited to mark the start of grazing season at College of the Atlantic Peggy Rockefeller Farm as the sheep flock is let out of the barn for their first taste of spring grass Saturday, May 10, beginning at 10 a.m.
The lambs and ewes will be set free of the barn at 10:30 a.m. After watching them frolic, guests can explore the farm, roll out a picnic blanket, and stay for some lawn games and a fiber spinning demo. Farm products will be available for sale, and COA student farm staff will be on hand to share about their food and farming projects, talk about the animals, and answer questions.
All are welcome to this free, family-friendly event, which takes place at the farm’s Cameron Barn, located at 532 Crooked Road. Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged.

A bit further down the coast Saturday, the Friends of Sears Island invite you to Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! “Birds love Sears Island, a national eBird hotspot. Meet Maine Master Naturalist Cloe Chunn and Todd Miller at the Sears Island gate and see the birds that flock to the island. Be ready for warblers in the trees and waders along the shore – and maybe an osprey or two. This walk is ADA-accessible, parking is easy and there are rustic facilities.” Saturday, May 10 – 7:00 am – 9:00 am FMI: Friends of Sears Island

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/8/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

The 2025 Maine Jewish Film Festival draws to a close with a special screening of The Other at the Bangor Public Library tonight. Doors open with light refreshments at 5:30. Film begins at 6:00. The film is free to the public and donations to cover the costs are most welcome. Reservations are not required, so organizers ask that you please arrive on time to ensure best seating.

“One of our most well-attended festival films, The Other takes us into the complex relationship of shared humanity, culture and connection between Israelis & Palestinians—and the transformative journey that follows when they are faced with meeting “the other.” As such it provides an extraordinary example of what we are all capable of as humans when empathy and understanding are the orders of the day

Filmed from 2017-2024, including post October 7th and during the subsequent war, The Other focuses on Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders, anti-occupation activists, artists, academics, ex-fighters, bereaved parents, and many more living the reality on the ground.

The screening is sponsored by the Maine Jewish Film Festival and Keshev, a group of Maine Jews committed to working for a lasting peace in Israel and Palestine, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live with full democratic and civil rights in peace, freedom, dignity, and safety.”

Ticket sales open today for Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews, a four-night film series showcasing the unique artistic vision and experimental storytelling techniques of College of the Atlantic T.A. Cox Chair in Studio Arts Nancy Andrews. “Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews spans a diverse selection of works dating from 1995-2025, including early works and genre-defying films that have earned Andrews recognition at film festivals and film series worldwide. Each night features a live Q&A session with Andrews, where she will discuss her creative process and the themes explored in her films.
Andrews is a visionary filmmaker whose works have garnered critical acclaim for their experimental narratives, imaginative visual storytelling, and fearless exploration of unconventional themes. Andrews’ work explores the boundaries between reality and imagination, the personal and the universal, and the inner psychological landscapes and external forces that shape human experience. Through her unique blend of film, animation, puppetry, music, and visual art, she crafts hybrid worlds that are both whimsical and profound.”
Schedule, film descriptions and (as of today) tickets at Reel Pizza

the public is invited to mark the start of grazing season at College of the Atlantic Peggy Rockefeller Farm as the sheep flock is let out of the barn for their first taste of spring grass Saturday, May 10, beginning at 10 a.m.
The lambs and ewes will be set free of the barn at 10:30 a.m. After watching them frolic, guests can explore the farm, roll out a picnic blanket, and stay for some lawn games and a fiber spinning demo. Farm products will be available for sale, and COA student farm staff will be on hand to share about their food and farming projects, talk about the animals, and answer questions.
All are welcome to this free, family-friendly event, which takes place at the farm’s Cameron Barn, located at 532 Crooked Road. Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged.

A bit further down the coast Saturday, the Friends of Sears Island invite you to Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! “Birds love Sears Island, a national eBird hotspot. Meet Maine Master Naturalist Cloe Chunn and Todd Miller at the Sears Island gate and see the birds that flock to the island. Be ready for warblers in the trees and waders along the shore – and maybe an osprey or two. This walk is ADA-accessible, parking is easy and there are rustic facilities.” Saturday, May 10 – 7:00 am – 9:00 am FMI: Friends of Sears Island

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/7/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Registration is now open for Out in the Open’s 2025 Summit, a regional gathering for small town and rural LGBTQ+ folks, May 31-June 1 in interior Waldo County This is their 10th year organizing such gatherings. Grace joins us with all the details.

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/6/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Lauren Stark joins us to talk about the Resistance Faire coming up on Saturday, May 10th in Belfast from 1-5 PM at the UU Church.
FMI:
Wellkeepers on BlueSky

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 5/5/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

The state legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will hold public hearings on several bills today, in sessions starting at 10am and at noon.
L.D. 1808 “An Act to Enact the Maine Climate Superfund Act”
L.D. 1870 “An Act to Establish a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to Impose Penalties on Climate Polluters”
L.D. 1698 “An Act Regarding Changes of Ownership of Dams”
L.D. 1786 “An Act to Require the Department of Environmental Protection to Provide Certain Information Regarding Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to the Public and Private Drinking Water Well Owners”
L.D. 1882 Bill “Resolve, Directing the Department of Environmental Protection to Conduct Rulemaking Regarding Significant Vernal Pools”

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Podcast: Play in new window | Download